Up until now the choices have actually been rather spartan when you compare the tablet market to the PC space. That is about to change in the next two months... and prices are going to reflect the change. (Though I doubt right away, it will take some time to shake it all out)

New tablets coming soon:

Windows 8 tablets: these are the most interesting due to the fact that they can double as a laptop and run x86 based programs. In theory these should dominate the market over time but in reality pricing will determine their adoption rate. Color me skeptical for now.

Windows RT: meh... basically windows version of an Android or iOS tablet, I see very limited potential here but who knows.

iPad Mini: Also will depend on pricing. If it isn't at least CLOSE to the $200 price point, I can't see any compelling reason to purchase one other than the typical Apple fan "have to have the cool new thing" factor. Of course, we know jack shite about their specs so I could be way off here... but it's always good to have more choices.

As for all the other Android tablets... I see a number of major price drops heading our way.. take a look at the new Kindle Fire HD 8.9 at $299 and the Nook HD+ at $269.. that's unreal. We are about to have quality tablets getting close to the $250 mark.

EDITED TO ADD RUMORS:

Google is supposedly releasing a $99 tablet and a 10.1" Nexus with REALLY high end specs (made by Samsung) both are rumored to start manufacturing in December.

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My dear girl, there are some things that just arenít done. Such as, drinking Dom Perignon í53 above the temperature of 38 degrees Fahrenheit. Thatís just as bad as listening to the Beatles without earmuffs.

Well, keep in mind that the new Touch is $299. I wouldn't expect their iPad Mini to be anywhere near that,.

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My dear girl, there are some things that just arenít done. Such as, drinking Dom Perignon í53 above the temperature of 38 degrees Fahrenheit. Thatís just as bad as listening to the Beatles without earmuffs.

The Nook HD line may have a similar feature (I know you can make separate profiles for different family members)

It gets trickier when you move up to the 9+" space... tons upon tons of options... depends on what exactly you are looking to get out of it. I wouldn't worry about getting an iPad unless you have money to burn. Your kid will easily pick up any OS you give her.

Thinking about a 10", just because she reads A LOT. And then maybe I won't be chasing the bigger and bigger screen for years.

She plays games and reads. Mom would probably use it some for internetPosted via Mobile Device

Well in the 9"+ space you have a bunch of options with more coming soon, so obviously it will pay off to wait a bit before making a decision. Right now, The Kindle FIre HD 8.9" is a solid tablet for around $300 .. even better if you have Amazon Prime.. tons of free books, movies and tv shows. BUT I don't think it ships until Nov 20th, so if it were me, I'd wait until Nov 1 (Windows tabs will be out by then but I doubt that is what you will want) to see what else is out there then pre-order if nothing better comes along.

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My dear girl, there are some things that just arenít done. Such as, drinking Dom Perignon í53 above the temperature of 38 degrees Fahrenheit. Thatís just as bad as listening to the Beatles without earmuffs.

Some interesting points. In my opinion, tablets have become a fight between ecosystems as opposed to hardware. The hardware has become commoditized to a growing extent. Some do hardware better than others, but it comes down to a touch screen in all cases.

This will be distressing to the likes of Samsung, because they'll struggle to create much of an identity. You can see this already in that they're relegating Google Now to the background while trying to push "S Voice". They're doing the same with their other "S" apps, even though they're inferior products. They're also completely losing out on the advertising money and ecosystem money.

They are also facing price pressure from Google and Amazon selling devices at cost.

I hate the Amazon kindle, but no one can deny they have an excellent ecosystem. A good friend of mine raves about it. He has a Prime membership, and loves the "free" books and streaming deals. For those casual, consumption users, it works perfectly and fills a market.

I think Microsoft will struggle. They are late to the market, and have so much to make up against Android and Apple, I don't see how it's possible. I also think their branding is awful. The average consumer doesn't know or care about the difference between Windows 8 and Windows RT. It introduces confusion that's going to hurt in the long run. They might find a niche in the enterprise area, but I don't think you'll see them approach any healthy market share.

I have a Nexus 7, iPad 2, and Kindle Fire. The Nexus 7 is around me almost all day. I love the thing. I've used Android since Eclair, so I'm biased. But this is the first Android device I've had that I love. The Fire I've practically given to someone else. And the iPad I find myself using less and less, although it's still an excellent product - just not for me.

I think Microsoft will struggle. They are late to the market, and have so much to make up against Android and Apple, I don't see how it's possible. I also think their branding is awful. The average consumer doesn't know or care about the difference between Windows 8 and Windows RT. It introduces confusion that's going to hurt in the long run. They might find a niche in the enterprise area, but I don't think you'll see them approach any healthy market share.

I agree 100% with your post except for the part quoted... here I agree to an extent. I agree on RT and the confusion factor but I disagree on true Windows 8 tablets. Imagine a laptop that does EVERYTHING you want it to do but can also be a tablet. I have one of the older versions of this and it's nice but so damn thick and old that it isn't the best tablet. Also, it has Windows 7 which isn't the best OS for tablets. BUT if it was light and thin and the OS was more tablet friendly and there were more tablet optimized apps.. it would be PERFECT. That is what Windows 8 tablets promise to do. Though I am a skeptic as to how well MS will deliver on that promise and if they can price them competitively.

In the end, I really think it's all gonna be about price for the next few years.

This really reminds me a lot of the earlier days of PCs when Dell and Gateway and others drove prices to the ground and the market exploded.. then once things settled down you started to see the niches break out for different pricing structures and such. I think we are just on the edge of entering that phase of the tablet market.

I agree 100% with your post except for the part quoted... here I agree to an extent. I agree on RT and the confusion factor but I disagree on true Windows 8 tablets. Imagine a laptop that does EVERYTHING you want it to do but can also be a tablet. I have one of the older versions of this and it's nice but so damn thick and old that it isn't the best tablet. Also, it has Windows 7 which isn't the best OS for tablets. BUT if it was light and thin and the OS was more tablet friendly and there were more tablet optimized apps.. it would be PERFECT. That is what Windows 8 tablets promise to do. Though I am a skeptic as to how well MS will deliver on that promise and if they can price them competitively.

I guess I don't see the market. Everything is becoming so cloud based now that these things matter less and less. I don't see the market for a "tablet that can do anything" beyond a few industries. People want iPads; they have computers for the rest. Microsoft Office will be dead within a few years, replaced by web solutions. Apps are increasingly becoming web and cloud based.

The future will come from the internet and not from proprietary software running on a tablet. I want to be able to do my work everywhere and anywhere. And if MS says to do that I have to buy a Windows 8 tablet, I'll find a different service. And a lot of companies are already moving that way.

I guess I don't see the market. Everything is becoming so cloud based now that these things matter less and less. I don't see the market for a "tablet that can do anything" beyond a few industries. People want iPads; they have computers for the rest. Microsoft Office will be dead within a few years, replaced by web solutions. Apps are increasingly becoming web and cloud based.

The future will come from the internet and not from proprietary software running on a tablet. I want to be able to do my work everywhere and anywhere. And if MS says to do that I have to buy a Windows 8 tablet, I'll find a different service. And a lot of companies are already moving that way.

Yes apps are becoming cloud based but there is still a massive market for actual x86 apps. We are years and years away from phasing out all "desktop" apps. Great example, I develop mobile and cloud based apps and I'd be in a world of hurt if I couldn't use desktop apps to do so. It could be done, but it certainly wouldn't be nearly as easy. The other area that will take time is games. It will be awhile before you could ever run Warcraft on your Android tablet (and probably NEVER on an iPad)... on the other hand, you should be able to play any game on any high end Win 8 tablet. Also there are plans for tablets built specifically for gaming...